This is what I was able to pull up for a quick search on YouTube. They have pretty good tutorials on just about anything you can think of. I use CS4
myself, but CS5 isn't that much different.

Think of masks and layers as putting different sheets of paper on top of each other like a flip book, with each subsequent layer on top adding to the
image on bottom. You can add or take away part of the image to make it a collage or a single image, or even add effects with animation if you like.
Hopefully this helps, I'll check back after work and see if you're still having trouble.

This is what I was able to pull up for a quick search on YouTube. They have pretty good tutorials on just about anything you can think of. I use CS4
myself, but CS5 isn't that much different.

Think of masks and layers as putting different sheets of paper on top of each other like a flip book, with each subsequent layer on top adding to the
image on bottom. You can add or take away part of the image to make it a collage or a single image, or even add effects with animation if you like.
Hopefully this helps, I'll check back after work and see if you're still having trouble.

King

Exactly, The difference with masks is they are independant modification you apply directly on a layer

Check out Lynda.com
There are extensive tutorials just on masks or layers alone.
I'm not one to respond to posts, but I was just playing with my girlfriends new Intuos 4 tablet with brushes in PS CS5, thought it was funny to see a
CS5 post literally coming here from playing around with it for hours.

But yeah, say i have two images, and i want to use the background of the one image, in the other images, i need to cut it out, either with the pen
tool, or the new fill select tool. The problem is, once i have cut it out from the one image, i can't seem to get that cut out piece into the other
image, thus creating one new image.

Originally posted by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep
Thanks everyone for all the recommendations!

Stars for everyone!!

But yeah, say i have two images, and i want to use the background of the one image, in the other images, i need to cut it out, either with the pen
tool, or the new fill select tool. The problem is, once i have cut it out from the one image, i can't seem to get that cut out piece into the other
image, thus creating one new image.

Thanks so far you all

vvv

Oh, if you're just wanting to bring an image onto another drag the layer onto the one you want it to be on. Make sure you have another layer setup
(And active) to take the imported image otherwise you'll have an editable object on top of your first image.

Just paste one pic onto one layer, add a new layer and paste the second image.

You can flick the layers on and off so you can see what your trimming (or use the slider to make the layer ontop to 50% transparency, this makes
trimming down the top layer very easy and precise since you can see through it to the lower layer(s)). Save it as a photoshop file, then save as, and
use a format like jpg or something to reduce the files final size as well as 'flattening' (combining the layers) the image.

You always should save a photoshop version first, because if you flatten the image by making it into a normal picture format like jpg, you will
obviously loose the seperate layers and cant reopen in and "tweak it some more" which all photoshoppers do, images are rarely actually finished

Ive had well over 20 layers on one project before, just make sure to start with somthing as a background layer if you want to to that, i mean you can
make a pure collarge its just a bit easyer to have some sort of rough scretch to base the rest of the layers on.

and dont forget to crop, if you have some gaps on one side or you have too many layers to move into place, you can just crop down the whole workspace,
or increase/resize it at any time

just save often.

EDIT: oh and also dont forget to name your layers, do this from the start and you wont loose your mind later on finding the right layer

Originally posted by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep
Thanks everyone for all the recommendations!

Stars for everyone!!

But yeah, say i have two images, and i want to use the background of the one image, in the other images, i need to cut it out, either with the pen
tool, or the new fill select tool. The problem is, once i have cut it out from the one image, i can't seem to get that cut out piece into the other
image, thus creating one new image.

Thanks so far you all

vvv

If you've gotten as far making the selection, all you need to do then is, using your selection tool (shortcut is "m"), right click on the canvase
and choose "Layer via Copy". This is the simplest, non-destructive way of isolating an object. Once that's done you'll see an extra layer on
your layers palette that consists of only your object that you wanted. Look at the little "eye" icon on your layers and hide everything except the
object to be moved and check to make sure it looks right for what you want.

Now the only other thing you need to do is drag that layer that you just created over to the canvas of your other image. Here is where CS5 gets
different. By default, when you have more than one image open within CS5, they will be "tabbed" under your toolbar, only allowing you to see one
image at a time just like tabbed webpages in firefox or chrome etc. Up at the top of your toolbar there should be an icon that looks like a darkened
square with a darkened line around it with no writing. Click this and a small popout will show you several more shapes like the original but laid out
differently. This is where you can choose how photoshop tiles and displays your opened files. Choose the one that has two identical
squares/rectangles and you'll see that if you have two images open in Photoshop they will be displayed side by side.

Now you just click on the image where you cut something out, click and hold on the layer, and drag it over to the other open image. Hint: Hold the
control key to move things around quickly.

Thing is, when i open a new image, it creates two images on the "work area" (lack of better word). Then, each image, has its own layers on the side,
so lets say i click on image a, its got its layers to the left, and when i click on image b, its got its layers to the left.

So lets say i want to remove the background from image b, and use it in image a, the the image b layers are created as you guys described, but for the
life of me, i cannot get it to image a??

oh, btw, love your name, i mean, to eat.Erm, like the sandwich, nevermind.

For the image you want to be the background, right click and select duplicate layer. Under Destination hit the drop down box and select new. After the
new document is created you can then drag the other image over. (Or you can right click the second image and select duplicate layer and under the
destination select the new layer you created in the first step. If you don't save the image it is usually labeled Untitled-1 or Untitled-2)

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